Astaire, Lady of Light
"My Daughter, do you believe you can prevail against the Old Scarecrow of the Reach? Do you believe in the Power of your light to cast away darkness? Your flame to wash the land clean of corruption?" - Sarenrae, shortly before allowing Astaire to decend unto greater woe. History The continent of stormtide, on a faraway planet, was a vast land filled with harsh wilderness, ruthless bloodlust, and strife. During a low peak in it's history, the continent itself bore very few cities; for just outside their walls, Tides of massive beasts, undeath, and malicious dragons sought to extinguish the last flames of humanity. Most were powerless to defend their homes in the end, as the power of the divines has abandoned mortal kin in Stormtide. The gods of old; Pelor, Boccob, Ioun and more, had all abandoned their mantle as Gods, leaving mortal kind to fend for themselves, without a word as to why. Their absence ushering in the new era of darkness. In the midst of all the chaos however, a brave few still tried to abate the tides, and protect their homes by bringing the fight beyond the cusp of city walls. Most called those young men and women fools, or suicidal. One of these brave young souls was a human woman named Astaire. Born under cirsumstances unknown to her; her first memories were of a small monastary filled with mundane healers, and nestled in the bosom of a costal city. According to the old priests and monks that still remained there, she had arrived on a sunny summer afternoon, swaddled in a cloth and basket, and giggling and smiling; with little explination provided how they got there. The early years of her life were plesant enough. They were spent playing with a handful of other orphaned children, learning the finer points of mundane healing arts, and and studying the ancient texts of a long dead sun god, to which the monastary owed its ancient origins. It was during her early childhood where Astaire learned to value principals of empathy, compassion, and helping others. Beyond the cities walls however, the tides of war continued to rise. More and more injured began to arrive at the monastary doorstep each day, with deeper and more gruesome wounds. By the time she was 18, the other cities had fallen one by one, and her costal home was considered to be the last mortal city on Stormtide, and the last bastion of hope. With grim chances for survival. Rather than simply give up as many others had, Astaire found inspiration in the words of a dying guardsman. He offered her his family's ancestral blade, As he was the last of his line, and destined for death regardless. He asked that somebody, anybody finish what he had started. To save the last city. Dawning a set of ancient armor from a ceremonial stand in the temple sanctum, and toting a greatsword forged for a man nearly twice her size, she set off to give her lifelong home a fighting chance, though both her mentors and herself didn't really expect the effort to last long. The first years of her journey were rocky and rough, adapting to a clunky new set of platemail, an oversides weapon, and a life beyond walls she had never known. Astaire nearly dies more than once in her naievity, but never stayed down. Some of her companions in battle attributed this to sheer luck, while other claim a divine hand must have guided her during the darkest times. Through a trial by fire, she learned how to fight, defend her compatriots, and embolden the resolve of others, by showing no fear in the face of what most considered to be certain death. Others in the city took notice. By her mid 20's Astaire has sucessfully defended the city from countless threats alongside other adventuters; and inspired hundreds to dawn a set of armor to do the same. She went on to lead the newly organized impromptu army on a crusade that spanned the entire western hemisphere of the planet, dropping countless foes. One by one, lich, ragon, beast, and abberation alike all fell to the same oversized greatsword. Over time, through her deeds Astaire did indeed regain divine magic. The first mortal in centuries to do so, though the source remained mysterous. Her strongest willed companions followed suit. Only once she had tracked down and eliminated all of the major known threats; did the true orchistrator of the chaos rear its ugly head. A village sized dracolich who had sewn the seeds across stormtide in a hope to gain total control. After a desperate and prolonged fight that cost her most of her men, Astaire delivered the finishing blow to it's phylacterey. The resulting wave of negative energy sundered flesh from bones, and no amount of luck could save the warrior; though she had completed her goal. The survivors of the battle returned to a peaceful world for the first time in centuries; and began to pay respect to Astaire. What began as mourning evolved into worship over decades, and those that held high the principles she did in life, found that divine magic would surge to them as well. A calm enveloped the world once more, Other gods rose to power, and an era of light was ushered in. Only in the afterlife did Astaire learn the truth of her mysterious origins. The young goddess Sarenrae had taken pity on the distant,godless planet, and under the guise of a mortal woman had bedded with the same brave soldier that had passed along the Greatsword, years before his death. She was a demigodess. And destined to bring light to the darkest places of the world. At her daughter's request, Sarenrae allowed Astaire to continue the crusade beyond Stormtide. An eternal champion, she would be reincarnated into a clumsy new body over and over again, wherever Sarenrae deemed it nessassary. She would arrive to embolden spirits, heal the sick and injured, shelter the weak and beat back the darkness to usher in light. Though the process had become commonplace to her, the Reach was no ordinary beast. Even Sarenrae herself spoke of the challenge ahead in hushed tones. But Astaire, never being one to back away from a people in need, insisted she be allowed to go. With a oddly reluctant hand, Sarenrae agreed; And for the first time, rather than decend on a beam of light to aid the innocent in a new quest, Lady Astaire fell from the sky into the black Reach below... And only time will tell if she manages to survive. Appearance Astaire is a tall, muscular woman, whom can very seldom be found outside her trademark suit of armor, bearing a white lion erupting from the breastplate. Her shoulders are accented by a pair of white feathery wings; and an oversized greatsword across her back. Her eyes are a silvery gold, and her hair akin to the color of flame. Some claim she has the capability to brighten up a room (literally) with her presence, and her skin is said to radiate a golden light. Maybe she's born with it.... (Maybe it's Sarenrae) Friends (Nothing notable....yet) Enemies All who seek to sew chaos and undeath across the Reach. Agents of the Scarecrow will be shown redemption by blade and fire.